Karen McCoy With the unknown, I don’t know if you could ever be 100% prepared, unfortunately because there’s so many unknowns. By doing these things, I mean literally by having a kit ready, by having a plan in place, by staying informed- that is your best route to be able to successfully have your family safe.
That was Karen McCoy, the North Louisiana American Red Cross Executive Director. She recommends citizens of the Southern United States prepare for hurricane season. Every year, June 1 is the start of hurricane season for the Atlantic basin, and every year The Louisiana Branch of The American Red Cross prepares for the season with resources and volunteers. McCoy provides three steps to be as prepared as possible.
Karen McCoy We always say ‘Build a kit, make a plan and stay informed.’ The first thing is to build a kit. We want you to have a ‘go kit’ ready in your home at all times. Where you would have some food in there, non-perishable food items, water, also your medications, batteries, battery-powered radio, you know, your chargers, any important documents you have, any durable medical goods. We want you to have that ‘go kit’ ready to go in case something comes up quickly. We also want you to make a plan. And so, that plan could look like: ‘Okay, if we’re having to leave our home, where are we going?’ so everybody in the family knows where you’re going. There’s a centralized meeting location, whether that’s a family member’s out of the area, or a friend’s house that you know where you’re going. Know the transportation you’re going to use to get there. If you’re going to end up needing to use public transportation, discuss that so you know that in advance. And then we want you to stay informed. So listening to the radio, listening to you guys, to know what’s going on in your area. Watching the local news. You can download the Red Cross Emergency APP, so that you are constantly getting information, so that if officials say that you need to evacuate, you know you need to leave.
McCoy also says there are extra steps outside of the initial preparations people need to take to ensure their family is safe.
Karen McCoy We also want you to know that if you’re in a manufactured home, or, like, an RV or something of that nature, those cannot withstand those storm winds. So be aware of that and know that you need to get out of there beforehand, before those storms come up. When you know something’s coming, we ask that you also tie down stuff outside. Make sure that if you have patio furniture, equipment, or anything like that, if you have a strong wind, it could blow away. Be sure that you secure anything that’s outside. Be sure that if you have storm shutters that you close those, that you put stuff over your windows. And then also, what a lot of people don’t think about, which, you know we just had this here not long ago when we had the huge hail storm, is: review your insurance policy with your agency, so you can be aware of what’s covered, what’s not covered. So you can, you know, have a good understanding of where you are with that. So, I always like to remind people. It’s something you get, you never look at again, it’s just there. And then all of a sudden when you need it, you know, years later, you’re not even sure what it covers. So, always review your insurance policy.
The Red Cross responds to hurricanes with shelters, and relies on its volunteers to run these and provide care. Even though North Louisiana hosts most shelters for South Louisiana, McCoy still recommends residents be fully prepared for disasters, especially flooding.
Karen McCoy Flooding is one of, you know, main things that occurs during that stuff. So, you want to protect yourself from flooding, make sure you have your gutters, and drains, and down spouts cleaned. You could also stockpile protective materials like plastic sheeting and sand bags. You know, some people, if you’re able, you can have a pump with a battery backup. You know you could consider elevating your heating systems, your water heater and your electric panel.
Hurricanes can average 6 to 12 inches of rain, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration averages 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes per season. The Red Cross urges people to stay safe, prepared and informed.
This is Alaina Atnip with Red River Radio.